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On 26 November 2007, New Zealand will introduce a replacement to its current investor immigration scheme called the Active Investor Migrant policy. The current policy has not proven very popular and failed to "connect investors with New Zealand businesses."
The Active Investor Migrant policy will be subdivided into three categories which have different requirements: General (Active) investors, Professional investors, and Global investors.
The requirements for each are as follows:
| Key Requirements | General (Active) Investor Category | Professional Investor Category | Global Investor Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant's English ability | At least IELTS scores of 5 in two out of four bands | At least IELTS scores of 4 in two out of four bands | No requirement |
| Family member's English ability | Same as main applicant or pre-purchase ESOL tuition | Same as main applicant or pre-purchase ESOL tuition | No requirement |
| Age | 54 or younger | 64 or younger | No requirement |
| Business experience | Minimum of 4 years | Minimum of 4 years | Minimum of 4 years |
| Investment funds | NZD $2.5 million | NZD $10 million | NZD $20 million |
| Active investment | Only applicable to applicants who can claim bonus points for active investment | NZD $2 million | NZD $5 million |
| Settlement funds | NZD $1 million | No requirement | No requirement |
| Health and Character | Applicants under all three categories must be healthy and of good character | ||
Migrants living in New Zealand under the Active Investor Migrant policy will also need to meet certain requirements while in New Zealand under the Active Investor Migrant policy. All three categories will need to maintain their investment funds within New Zealand for a minimum of four years.
Migrants under the General (Active) category will be required to spend 146 days in New Zealand in each of the last 3 years of the 4-year investment period. Migrants under the Professional category will be required to spend 109 days in New Zealand in each of the last 3 years of the 4-year investment period. Migrants under the Global category will be required to spend 73 days in New Zealand in each of the last 3 years of the 4-year investment period.
All three categories will need to provide proof of fulfilling these requirements on the 2nd anniversary of investment and upon expiration of the 4-year investment period.
1000 Active Investor Migrant places will be made available each year, which includes principal and non-principal (e.g. family memebers) applicants. Priority will be given to Professional and Global investor applicants.
Applicants under the Global and Professional categories can lodge application directly, while applicants under the General (Active) category must first submit an Expression of Interest under the points system.
